Challenging ourselves is what makes us grow, physically and emotionally.  Pushing ourselves, setting goals, expanding horizons, trying new things, and accomplishing objectives make us more confident and make the world a better place.  When I started One Healthy Hamptons, I made a promise to myself that I would try more things outside of my comfort zone and take advantage of more opportunities that come my way, even if it’s something I can’t see myself doing.  I’m going to challenge you to challenge yourself this month because the outcome is amazing.

Although it’s much easier to go about our daily routines, stay within our comfort zone, and rely on the things we already know and love, it’s also pretty boring.  Yes, we should all have ongoing goals in life that we’re confident we can achieve, but what about when we’re not sure we can do it?  What about goals that may not be achievable?  Goals we may think are out of our realm of capability, goals we may ultimately fail to reach.

Why am I asking you to set a goal you may not be able to achieve?  Because the growth that you’ll experience during the process, the time spent reaching for that goal, will be priceless, trust me.  Pushing ourselves to reach a goal we may not think we can achieve takes an immense amount of work, effort, focus, planning, and, most of all, support.

This past weekend, I spent 20 hours in a small room with a few other girls for a Les Mills Body Flow training.  Seven girls with seven different lifestyles, strengths, and weaknesses, came together to push ourselves and each other.  From fitness professionals to librarian or teacher, these women all brought their own skills and personalities to the table and I honestly don’t think we could have done it without each other, at least I know I couldn’t have.

I haven’t met a more supportive group of people in a long, long time.  Most of the girls were there to go through the mandatory steps to eventually teach Body Flow, of course, but that wasn’t necessarily my goal.  I committed myself to attend the training, soak up the information, learn about myself, and do my best.  To be honest, I had little confidence that I would actually pass the course and move on to become a Body Flow instructor, but for me that wasn’t the point.  The ultimate goal was simply to take advantage of the opportunity as much as possible.  And that I did.

Turns out, I actually passed the training, but the reward for me was the experience: developing my physical skills, finding my ability to coach, gaining knowledge, and most of all, giving and receiving unbelievable support and connection with others in the room.  There’s nothing like undergoing an immense challenge, a long weekend, and a learning experience with a group of people to prove to yourself you can do something you may think you can’t.

This goal of mine really had an unexpected ending; however, the act of committing to something out of my comfort zone, fulfilling this commitment, and giving it my all gave me more satisfaction than I can even explain and I want you to experience that for yourself!

So, how do you choose a goal outside of your comfort zone?  Imagine you are completely unstoppable, that nothing is impossible. In this case, your superhuman version of yourself, what would be one thing you would take on?  Now, do it.  Commit yourself to try, to experience the journey, and to do your best, regardless of the outcome.  Whether it’s a physical goal, an emotional commitment, or a combination of the two, identify a goal and embrace the experience!

One Healthy Breakdown: our passion and commitment, in combination with support and connection with others, is an unbelievably powerful force not to be reckoned with.